Cracking the Code

Brienna Rossiter, Focus Readers Editor

You don’t have to be an expert to teach computer code. In fact, a key part of any class about coding is helping students learn to think like programmers—which is why we created our new Coding series! The four books in this set introduce readers to some of the many ways people use code to create websites, programs, and games. An emphasis on step-by-step instructions helps readers build computational thinking skills, and our website includes an activity for each book so students can practice what they learned.

They can decode messages written in binary in Coding Basics,

learn to create simple commands with Scratch in The Future of Coding,

write step-by-step instructions to navigate a maze in How Coding Works,

or use conditional statements to create rules for a game in Video Game Coding.

Plus, we’ve collected links to other online resources where students can view a detailed timeline of the history of video games, play a game to build their coding skills, or find resources to help them create a game of their own.